shrew(n) :1. "small mammal," O.E. screawa "shrew-mouse."2. "peevish, malignant, clamorous, spiteful, vexatious, turbulent woman" [Johnson] c.1386, from earlier sense of "spiteful person" (male or female), c.1250, traditionally said to derive from some supposed malignant influence of the animal, which was once believed to have a venomous bite and was held in superstitious dread.

Tuesday, March 27, 2007

I purchased and used the NuvaRing faithfully. I recommended it to every woman I knew. Now I can’t afford it. You have just lost a customer. You have just denied a woman birth control because of her economic status.

According to your website, you value action. “Each letter in ACTION represents an important value we share as an organization: accountability, communication, transparency, initiative, objectives, and now.” You must be accountable to the thousands of women who you have just disenfranchised due to your price increase. You must open lines of communication by being more available on the web. You must actually be transparent in your business practices. Take the initiative and support women's reproductive health. Fufill your objective to provide reasonably priced birth control to all women.

We are very lucky women. We live in a nation where we have control over our own reproductive health. We even have options as to how we may prevent unwanted pregnancies.

Except for poor women. Their options are rapidly disappearing.

Why? Because Organon, the prescription company who makes Cyclessa, Desogen and NuvaRing, has raised their prices. So has Ortho, the makers of Ortho Tricyclen Lo. Both companies have cancelled their discounted pricing for ALL University Student Health Centers across the country. But wait! These prices have not just gone up for women who can afford college. They have gone up in Planned Parenthood, the only option for most low income women. Most increases have been from 200% to 300%. Even though Organon reported an 8% increase in revenues in 2006.

I am one of those women now out of options. I use the NuvaRing. I have been using it for two years, and it is the best birth control I have ever tried. It’s the only one I’ve ever trusted. The NuvaRing is easy to use, free of side effects (for me) and—here’s the best part—more effective than the pill. I used to buy it for $15. Now it costs $52. That is an increase of over 300%. Three times the price! Planned Parenthood went up to $40 for one NuvaRing.

This is outrageous. I’m through taking this crap. We have to do something about this, sisters.I searched all over the internet for the contact information for Organon, and this is what I found: Organon USA56 Livingston AveRoseland, NJ 07068Customer Service Department:1-800-241-8812, 8:00am - 5:00pm(EST).Organon has a website, but no email addresses and no local sales representative information that I could find.

This means that you have to MAIL A LETTER, ladies. Do it! I know you have stamps laying around! Protest!

We have to let them know that American women deserve better! Those of us that can afford birth control have to speak for those who can’t.

Friday, March 2, 2007

I am calling myself the Pixie Pedagogue, the tiny teacher, but I have been doing precious little pedagogy lately.I have been missing work, classes and student teaching; been generally deliquent in all duties. Except going to the doctor. And sleep. I've been on top of that shit. Lemme sum up, 3 words: upper respiratory infection.

Word for the Day: cessation n. [se-sey-shuhn] : a temporary or complete stopping; discontinuance: a cessation of hostilities.

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I am a writer of speculative fiction, a rabid reader of books, a maker of Victorian-inspired steampunk jewelry, an unapologetic feminist, a traveler, a cat lover, and a scholar.

This blog features book reviews of LGBT speculative fiction (that's fantasy and science fiction with LGBTQ characters), stories about life as a freelance web writer, interesting tidbits on writing and geekery found on the web, and the occasional cat picture. Though the Shrew tries to stay away from M/M romance novels, some may appear. The blog also features author biographies and book recommendations.